I'm just to let something flow as I rethink my Cadian Stormtrooper line up as I can't take a flamer AND a Melta Gun AND a grenade launcher. I have a feeling I'll drop the flamer since the Melta gun is just as good. I'll probably paint them all so I can have the options. Mark and I keep talking about throwing a game together. I think Mark has enough Marines for a fight. He better darn have enough.

Have I seen Staci in the past few days? If I did, I can't remember. No, I did see her earlier last week, something about her wanting me to take a shift from her. It wasn't an emergency. I still managed to show up with a coffee and some moral support. It's the best I can do these days. Part of me enjoys the pain I inflict upon myself dealing with "that" segment of my life. With enough drugs, distractions and willpower I'll be alright. Or I'll explode. Whichever comes first.

Nothing has been going on, nothing has really changed since last time. Sure, Saint has moved on to another location which better suits her professional life. I just hope I'll hear from her every now and then.  

I rented Call of Duty 4. It is a fantastic game, but I have to tighten up my FPS skills. It's been too long and with all the turn based strategy and MMORPG I can't stare down sights too well...even though it's fairly well represented in the terms of weapons. SAS C8 SFW, M4 SOPMOD and others. I haven't gotten too far in it...and here I thought dropping the WWII angle was a bad move for the CoD series.

 The Firm crew seems to all be in some kind of quarter life crisis. We talk about our lives, our jobs and where the future will lead. We talk about breaking out of the job and making an indie movie. I write it, of course...but that requires writing talent which I'm pretty sure I don't have. Everyone else says I'm a fairly good writer, but I can't see it. I try to hate everything I write so no one else can make fun of it if I disown it. Having the self esteem of a cabbage worked well surviving high school, but in the real world, it doesn't work.

Yeah. I'm done.

-Cleric 

            I don't know what it is; there is something very calming about building a small armored fighting vehicle. No wonder why I picked the Imperial Guard. I've been dreaming of doing a one man build team on a 10 tank Emperor's Fist Tank unit, of course, that's way too much money and time. Another one would be cool though. Gotta love that base chassis that is the same for the Leman Russ, The Chimera, the Hellhound and the Basilisk support with Earthshaker cannon. The Leman Russ was the first thing I ever made with it's messed up winged tread assembly. My Chimera was a work of art. Still is with all the stressing and drybrushing.

Possible 40k Add Ons in the near future:

1. Missile Launcher unit attached to Armored Fist
2. A 2nd Heavy Bolter and an Auto cannon to complete a support team(for the HQ)
3. Another Leman Russ. No sponsons, but a hull mounted bolter.
4. 2 more squads of Guard would be nice. I could probably shift it all about to get 5 squads into the first platoon.

All nicely packaged in a Cadian Battle Force by the way.

A sentinel would be awesome just to build, but I'd like to know how fast attack works in a game before I go out and buy one. I'd like to kit bash to get two guns on it...That and I have to paint the Baneblade.

And you'd think I'd lead this entry with the fact Staci uncharacteristically wore a jean skirt today before she changed for work. Nope. All I'm going to say is she does have fantastic legs and those Converse Boots make them even better. It is beginning to look like spring.

I'm still mulling over the brunette mousey glasses wearing 27 year old Naomi Watts in Tank Girl . Mmmmm. I can't even remember where I first heard about Tank Girl, but Teletoon aired the movie last night(aired it earlier tonight too) I probably heard about Tank Girl during the "Anti Gravity Room" waaaaaaaaaay back in the day. It was cheesy, it was odd and it had Ice T as a kangaroo man, but it was still fun. 

Work work work work work work work Work wOrK Work Work Kork? Krow!? Work work work work work work work work work Kork Kwork?!

Monday close
Friday 11-7
Saturday 11-7
Sunday 11-7
Monday 11-7 + 12:00 midnight until eight inventory. 

Now, not even the Sarge would willingly and purposely give me a schedule like that. No way. But being the kinda guy I am, Matt wondered if there was a shift he could take that was later in the day and wasn't the close on Saturday. Well, that was my shift: The little 5-10. I offered that up for his 11-7 on Saturday. No problem. Of course, he phones the store that morning wondering if someone could take that 5-10...I couldn't of course...so he couldn't cover my shift for god knows what reason. Somehow he got Britany* (despite her protests having to work with Staci and Ashley after that disaster...) And he wanted to know if someone could take his Monday little shift. I couldn't since I was already there, but Brett promised he would if someone could cover the inventory shift...which I think Matt had in the first place too. Brett even seemed unsure of that...

Either way, I'm now working an inventory. Good thing I pitched in during the last one so I know what the hell to do.

Three things are keeping me going during this rough work time:

I: More money= more 40k=less stress/more pleasant distractions
II: My close this weekend is with the Lt. as he returns from his vacation this week. Those are always good shifts.
III: Eight Paid hours with Staci for the inventory? Sign me up!

            I just can't say "no" if someone asks me to work. All those HO calls in where my parents said "Oh *Cleric*, going in shows you're dedicated!" have stuck....

            I've said "no" a couple times because I've had school(I've been AT school!) and I've been sent home a few times because I was the walking dead. I've only had two shifts covered. One where I phoned in sick in the morning, wrote an exam then died and the one where the Sarge moved mountains to get me that Tuesday off to go see "Angels in America" with Elizabeth...which, come to think of it...was her birthday present to me for her.... 

I still manage to fit in some CoX and Rockband in-between all this.  School? Not so much, but I've been trying not to kill myself, so that helps.

EnGen is still me and starting to Big Boom with the Nova at 32
HSK is working here and there.
Franny is cutting them all down and hit the Scrapper HP cap a while ago. It'll be nice to see how The WWII Heroine will deal with the new Roman era mishs in I12.
Even Nicky Rogers is getting some dirty work; of course he won't be 50 to allow me access to those new villain epics coming out with I12.
I even made a WP/Fire tank and she's pretty cool.

That's it. I have to sleep.

But see Angel-A if you can...and like subtitles, black and white films and tall leggy blond angels. Also, Alvin and the Chipmunks wasn't as bad as I had thought. Mum wanted me to rent it for her...and since nothing else was on I watched it with her...colour me surprised.

There’s some off the clock movie geek chatter for you.

Staci is still awesome and distant. I get a playful headbutt whenever I can… It's a living.

At least I get to hang out with her more technically since Mark moved in with Staci and Ashley and I get to hang with Mark… 

Oh, the Natalie Portman thing has recently become sexual....but sex and study buddy? Does that even work?! Not the most productive study session.

*I wanted to rant how quickly my opinion of Britany is dropping, but when I finished the entry I just didn’t care. I don’t like her because she’s said terrible things about me and the people I care about behind my back. She’s not Saint nor Staci’s biggest fan…so if you can’t get past those two people in my life, don’t bother. I’m just the perfect retard I suppose. (Sigh)

-Cleric  

Thirty One and a half hours in one week. That's one full shift from hitting the magical full time mark that no one will let me hit. Not like I want full time...or shift leader...

Needless to say, thirty one and a half hours of paid monies will buy many coffees(for me and Staci, but don't tell her that) and several more Guard squads. I'm alright when it comes to tanks since Mark and I went to the GW a few days ago and I picked up a Apocalypse box of Leman Russes for the Awesome American price instead of the less than awesome Canadian price. I do like putting together tanks. Mark keep talking about epic full sized battles. His 100 standard battle Marines equal to my 300 standard Guard.

I even talked Matt into taking my little close shift tomorrow because I need at least one day off. This is what I get for not being able to say no. People have gotten smart and they get the Lt. or Staci to phone on their behalf simply because I will rarely, if ever, say no to either of them. Oh, speaking of them, we're seeing "She Wants Revenge" at the Commodore in June.

I'll take this week easy. Assembling many tanks, three to be specific. I've even worked up a "Natalie Portman Movies I Have on Hand Marathon" over the next two days. Since I bought "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium and The Darjeeling Limited and I rented Free Zone, I have Nine NP moves currently in the house. I'll probably watch them in reverse chronological order, however, I could just randomly put in which ever one I feel like.

1. Wonder Emporium
2. Hotel Chevalier/Darjeeling Limited
3. Paris je Taime
4. V for Vendetta
5. Free Zone
6. Closer
7. Garden State
8. Heat(like five minutes of Natalie, but it counts)
9. Leon(LEON! NOT THE PROFESSIONAL!)
   

 I might even start to put all my iTunes music back onto my computer as unprotected AACs to allow them to be put on my phone, since I've been sans Ipod for several months now. This is to allow me to blast the Lt. with awesome new music on our closing shifts every now and then.

Mark's move in with Staci went smooth. So now it's a happy little "The Firm" Family with Ashley as well. Lucas is currently using the place as a Safehouse to get away from his terrible girlfriend while he figures things out. It's like a "The Firm" hostel at the moment.  Saint and I hung there during the first week. She admitted it was a nice little platonic marriage Mark and Staci had going. I was going to argue semantics, but in the end I knew Saint was right. Something about Staci saying "Mark, come get your burger" hammered it home for us.

By the way, she's fine now, living with friends in Cloverdale and working for a seamstress doing costume work for some of the local television programs. Saint even got a new phone, the "Metro Pink" version of my "Urban Grey" 580i. I'll see her a little less these days, but she'll get a ride back into town everynow and then so we can hang.

You know, a couple days ago Pyro woke me up(bastard had a spare) and wondered if I had heard about the CoV Epic archetypes that were being released since he caught a glimpse of them on he daily Gamestrailers check. I told him of course and don't expect to see me playing as a Bane Spider or a Blood Widow for a while since Nicky Rogers is only at 31. I told him at least a couple months before he would get to try those out. Took me at least seven months to get access to the Kheldians, so I can wait a little while longer.

So, inventories weren't as fun as I had believed. According to Brett it would have been better with the Lt and Staci. Not like I have a problem with the Sarge(I'm one of the few that doesn't) but The Lt. would have done a lot of prep work so the Game inventory wouldn't have sucked as hard as it did and I probably wouldn't have split my day shift into that Inventory because the Lt wouldn't have let me do it.  He was proud that I finally manned up and asked Matt to take my shift tomorrow, since I haven't been doing that lately. Manning Up.

Random CoH Line:

"It's like OMFGRAPE!"
"Grapes?"
"Oh My F-ing Grapes?!
"You don't mess with the Grapes, the Grapes mess with you!"

Sound Check: Check out Justin Rutledge, his single is free in the Canadian itunes music store this week and it's fantastic. Also, on a whim Darren Holden is a worth a listen or two. From the Lt.'s playlist. Hit up Athlete and my personal favourite Pete Yorn. That is all.

And no more off the clock movie geeking for the next few days. I'm sorry, as much as I like the people who work at the Bucks next door, I don't have the store inventory downloaded into my brain so I don't know if Phantom of the Opera is in right now as I stand before you ordering my Long Four Shot Americano!  

 Done? Done.

-Cleric  

Maybe it's too early to be up and writing things, but at this point I don't care.

Work was work and for once wasn't my big Friday issue. It was Staci and the Stargate Atlantis Superfan contest we were suppose to enter months ago and the deadline was yesterday. For a while, I shouldered all the blame but then I realized that whatever Staci does, thinks or feels isn't my problem. Staci is still my problem.

Mum didn't get that one yesterday, I thought it was clever.

Needless to say, Staci can get a little grumpy when things don't go right. I can't blame her that morning since she was under the impression the Lt. Col was going to drop in for inspection. He didn't by the time she left, but he was in to watch my ass work for at least two hours. Not like I have an issue with it, I'm good at my job...unless the customer I'm dealing with is an idiot(and/or a teenager) then I can't be held responsible.

Staci and I did have fun a few days ago when we had our little adventure to a Future Shop in the heart of surrey so she could pick up The Invisible Man. It was a long bus ride in with some time browsing over media and dinner at the nearby White Spot(mmm, Salmon burger and vinegar soaked fries) I picked up some DVD at good deals including the tear jerking 5th season of Angel as something to watch as I assemble my various Guard units. I always try to watch something I've seen. Other additions include American History X, Blazing Saddles(A Staci Favourite which we watched a while ago when we all hung out), The Matrix(I still have a VHS copy somewhere in the house) and Pushing Tin. I just need Serendipity and Grosse Point Blank then I can stop hunting for John Cusack Movies.

By the way, the Command Tank came out flawless. I found that Tank Company article on the GW US Website a great help. The idea of attaching the searchlight to the turret? The Tank-Killer one didn't come out as well, but I liked the placement of the Hunterkiller missile. I'm slowly working on the third one. All my sponsons, barrels and turrets move even after priming. That's learning from experience.

And I was worried that I was responsible for one or two of the 30-40%M-Shops at the Firm. Ha. Pff. Mine was mid seventies. I just have an issue with my height being described as "Average." When the Sarge showed me the sheet I glanced over it and in joking fashion shouted "Average? Average?! I'll show you average!" Yeah, still...5'10ish in a family where the mean height is 5'4. I'm happy. Except Pyro...he's just a freak...and still 5'10 whether or not he still believes he's taller than me....

 Yes, I rented 27 Dresses. Yes. I probably will watch it and yes...I probably will enjoy it.

Done and Done. Brother Mark and I might hang today...and try not to go to GW...no promises.

-Cleric 

Yeah...We went to GW...so sue me...at least Jen walked us through a really really dumbed down Battle of Macgrage and Mark got whooped by a six year old. At least we learned the dice have to be with you in 40k or even the mighty Space Marine will fall.

When Cleric goes a little wonkie...Cleric tends to fade into his own mind which makes things even worse. Psychological problems can manifest as physiological ones and suddenly you don't feel like going to a pretty awesome party you've been looking forward to literally for months.

Well, Cleric went a wonkie this morning for little and/or no reason. I blame the fish that came with Saturday's less than stellar Red Robin Salmon Caesar salad...which seemed smaller than the version I had at the one downtown.

A heavy weapons team, a box of a shock troops and a walker...which was smaller than I had thought...looks awesome though. Between the heavies, the shocktroops, the walker and the left over tank bits I could kit bash like no ones business.

Nope. Nothing else.

I going to go fade.